Pricing

Full board per person (all meals, accommodation, activities):

£60

Following on from the huge success of Halsway’s Hothouse youth residential courses we are pleased to announce Halsway Young Folk – Juniors for ages 8 – 12. Led by experienced teacher-practitioner Claire Bailey, this short residential will be filled with fun and creative folk activities, using local traditions and customs as inspiration. Children will explore music, dance and song, and create and perform a show for family and friends.

“I’d never done anything like this before, I had lots of fun and I enjoyed making new friends. I liked the food too!” Hothouse participant

Arrive Tuesday at 11:30am; there will be a performance by participants at 11:30am Thursday, followed by farewell picnic in the garden – family and friends welcome!

Who’s it For?

A fun, short residential course for ages 8 – 12. You might enjoy music, song and dance, but you don’t need to play an instrument or be an expert!

The Team

Claire Bailey

“It was through my education with the Fosbrook Folk Education Trust that I developed a love for folk and traditional music and dance. I joined the group at the age of eight and enjoyed many wonderful opportunities performing at festivals across Britain and the world. I went on to study Folk and Traditional music at Newcastle University, where I studied clog dancing and flute. This led to me following a career in primary education. In school, I have developed a choir and music group who have enjoyed performing and visiting festivals. I have been involved with the Hothouse programme from the beginning, predominately as a pastoral tutor. Being away from home can be daunting for young people, so I ensure that they settle in well, are enjoying themselves, keep them safe and of course make sure they get some sleep! Being the pastoral tutor for the Hothouse courses is a real pleasure, as every year I see young people make new friends, develop as musicians and become excited about a new genre of music.”

Ford Collier

“I got into music when I formed The Drystones with fiddler Alex Garden at the age of 14. We’ve been playing together ever since, and we’ve had the opportunity to play at some incredible festivals including Glastonbury, Sidmouth Folk Week, Larmer Tree and others – it’s through playing guitar and whistle in The Drystones that I got into performing folk music. Another really formative influence has been the Halsway Manor Hothouse workshops. I first went when I was 16, having heard about it through my school. A week of music at Halsway was an amazing experience and is really the reason I decided to play the tin whistle; I didn’t really take it seriously until I played loads of whistle that week at the encouragement of the tutors, and it’s now my first study instrument for my music degree at Sheffield University. I’ve gone to Hothouse every year since and it’s always inspiring making music with the fantastic tutors there. I’m now specialising in Irish music on the whistle, learning from brilliant Manchester whistler Grace Kelly and I intend to pursue music, teaching and performing.”

Enjoy the area, bring a friend, share a room, & save money

You can book on a course at Halsway and bring a friend who can explore the area while using Halsway as a base for meals and accommodation. Halsway Manor is in the Quantock Hills (England’s first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). We’re just minutes away from the West Somerset Railway (one of Britain’s largest steam railways), Somerset’s Jurassic coast (ideal for fossil hunting), and the Exmoor National Park is right on our doorstep.